Welcome to the Underwater Photography Guide. This online book and magazine is a complete underwater photography tutorial full of u/w photography tips and techniques. Our idea is simple - learn, shoot, explore. We hope you enjoy and come back often - Scott Gietler, Owner of UWPG and Bluewater Photo & Travel.

Detailed Menu info

Camera Menu #1

Larger images contain more pixels, which means more detail. This should automatically be set to Large if you change your Quality to RAW (see below)

Aspect Ratio - (Menu - Camera 1 - [Aspect Ratio] ) - 3:2

Set aspect ratio to 3:2 to mimic standard film. This is recommended in case you want to print images in the future as most photo prints are based on this ratio.

Quality - (Menu - Camera 1 - [Quality] ) - RAW or RAW+J

I advise to shoot raw if it's available. You may need extra software to process your images but it is worth it. The flexibility of a raw file to be changed cannot be underestimated. If you want to shoot JPEGS while shooting raw, then use RAW+J. Both of these should also set your image size to Large.

Camera Menu #2

Drive Mode - (Menu - Camera 2 - [Drive Mode] ) - Single Shooting

Single Shooting is the only way to go for underwater photography as it gives you more control over every image you take and, more importantly, gives your strobes a chance to recharge for the next shot.

Continuous might be useful for shooting fast moving subjects.

Note: Continuous, aks Tracking, focus can cause problems when attempting to compose images as the focus will be shifting from subject to subject as you adjust the framing. Best to stick with Single-shot.

Flash - (Menu - Camera 2 - [Flash Mode] ) - DEPENDS

Set this to OFF for ambient light shots. Set this to "Fill Flash" for using a strobe or the internal flash.

Focus Mode - (Menu - Camera 2 - [Focus Mode] ) - Single-shot

Single-shot is what we recommend as a base line setting. Continuous focus might be good if shooting fish but in our experience many of the fish are too fast for you to adapt to their movement.

Note: this camera will automatically refocus on the subject when you move the camera, which helps it focus faster. DMF mode is very cool when used with peaking levels.

Autofocus Area - (Menu - Camera 2 - [Autofocus Area] ) - Center

I always shoot with center item focusing. I know exactly where the camera will take the focus from and then I can compose the image once I have locked the focus by adjusting what is where in the frame.

That being said, you can set this to flexible spot, which allows you to move the focus point by pressing the center button of the rear control wheel and then the direction in which you wish to move the focus point.

Soft Skin Effect - (Menu - Camera 2 - [Soft Sking Effect] ) - OFF

No need for this underwater

Smile/Face Detect - (Menu - Camera 2 - [Smile/Face Detect] ) - OFF

These two are not needed underwater and may mess with your settings. YOU want to be in control, not the camera.

Auto Port. Framing - (Menu - Camera 2 - [Auto Port. Framing] ) - OFF

Leave this off as well.

Camera Menu #3

ISO - (Menu - Camera 3 - [ISO] ) - 100

In general you want your ISO to be set as low as possible to produce as fine a quality as you can get. Sometimes a low light situation dictates a change in your ISO, but start at a base of 100 and adjust as needed from there.

Note: The higher you raise your ISO, the more noise you will see in your images. For ambient light photos, you will want to raise the ISO. Read more about ISO underwater

Metering Mode - (Menu - Camera 3 - [Metering Mode] ) - Multi

Set your metering mode to Multi so that it creates a well-balanced exposure from the entire frame of the image, not just a small portion.

Flash Compensation - (Menu - Camera 3 - [Flash Comp] ) - 0.0

You will either be shooting without a flash (ambient light) or with strobes on your housing. Neither of these will make use of a stronger/weaker flash so just leave it at the default.

White Balance - (Menu - Camera 3 - [White Balance] ) - AUTO

When shooting with strobes, keep your white balance set to auto.

DRO / Auto HDR - (Menu - Camera 3 - [DRO / Auto HDR] ) - OFF

Anything like HDR that is done in the camera can be done with much more control on a computer after the dive.

Creative Style - (Menu - Camera 3 - [Creative Style] ) - Standard

Again, creative effects can be added with much more control after you've taken your images. Better to add something to an image later then want to remove it later and not be able to do so.

Picture Effect - (Menu - Camera 3 - [Picture Effect] ) - Off

See the resons above for DRO /HDR & Creative Style.

Camera Menu #4

Clear Image Zoom - (Menu - Camera 4 - [Clear Image Zoom] ) - OFF

As this setting doesn't work in RAW mode (which we recommend you shoot in), you might as well keep this setting set to OFF. This basically adds a little bit of zoom to your optical zoom without decreasing the image quality too badly.

Digital Zoom - (Menu - Camera 4 - [Digital Zoom] ) - OFF

This adds even more zoom than the Clear Image Zoom but your image quality will degrade much worse. It's best to keep both Clear Image Zoom and Digital Zoom set to off.

Not used underwater. The default is set to ON and it's safe to leave it there. This reduces noise on exposures over 1/3 seconds in length. Odds are good you won't be making this long of an exposure underwater.

This setting is not available for RAW images so if you shoot raw you won't need to worry about it. It sets the priority of noise reduction while taking images. The concern of setting this to high is that the camera might not allow you to take more images while it is processing the noise reduction.

AF Illuminator - (Menu - Camera 4 - [AF Illuminator] ) - OFF

This function emits a red light to assist the camera in focusing. Keep off unless you are using a clear housing and are not using a focus light.

SteadyShot - (Menu - Camera 4 - [SteadyShot] ) - ON

Keep this set ON to help prevent as much camera shake in your images as possible.

Color Space - (Menu - Camera 4 - [Color Space] ) - sRGB

sRGB is the defualt setting. Adobe RGB is for applications or printers that support color management and DCF2.0 option color space. Using some applications or printers that do not support them may result in or print images that do not faithfully reproduce the color.

This setting sets the size of an image taken while a move is shooting. The default is set to a larger image and we recommend staying with the default.

SteadyShot - (Menu - Video 1 - [Steady Shot] ) - Active

Setting this to active reduces the amount of camera shake and is highly recommended for video.

Audio Recording - (Menu - Video 1 - [Audio Recording] ) - On

Assuming you'll want to hear what you're shooting, keep this set to On.

Wind Noise Reduction - (Menu - Video 1 - [Wind Noise Reduct.] ) - Off

This should only be used if the wind is blowing strongly and you need to record audio. If turned on, recorded sounds might be difficult to hear.

Movie - (Menu - Video 1 - [Movie] ) - Program or Manual

When set to program mode, the camera will automatically adjust exposure as you move the camera. If you want full control, set it to manual but be aware that you will need to adjust exposure as you move the camera.

Gear Menu #1

Red Eye Reduction - (Menu - Gear Menu 1 - [Red Eye Reduction] ) - OFF

Do not use red eye reduction as it may interfere with strobe function.

Grid Line - (Menu - Gear Menu 1 - [Grid Line] ) - OFF

This shows gridlines on the display. We recommend keeping this turned off but this is really a user preference.

Auto Review - (Menu - Gear Menu 1 - [Auto Review] ) - 2 seconds

We like 2 seconds, although some people may want it set off, or set to 5 seconds.

This changes what is shown on the display. Options are: graphic display, display all info, no display info, level, and histogram.

Peaking Level - (Menu - Gear Menu 1 - [Peaking Level] ) - OFF / High

For general usage, keep this set to off as you won't make use of it and it may interfer with your image taking. Macro shooters, however, may want to try this: 1) set peaking level to high, 2) set peaking color to yellow, 3) set focus mode to DMF. This will show you exactly what is in focus and allow you to move the focus range with a visual reference.

Peaking Color - (Menu - Gear Menu 1 - [Peaking Color] ) - Yellow

We've found yellow to be the best color for this feature, but it really comes down to personal preference.

Gear Menu #2

Control Ring - (Menu - Gear Menu 2 - [Contrl Ring] ) - Standard

Keep this set to standard to keep the function of the control ring optimized based on your shooting mode.

This allows you to change what options are available when you hit the "Fn" button on the back of the camera while shooting. There are 7 slots here where you can put menus you might access often, such as white balance or exposure compensation.

Allows you to select frequently used functions and assign them to the center button on the control wheel. The default "Standard setting" sets the function assigned to the center button on the control wheel as different depending on the [Autofocus Area] setting.

Sets the length of time until the camera turns off automatically. If you do not operate the camera for a certain period of time while the power is on using the battery pack, the camera turns off automatically to prevent wearing down the battery pack (Auto power-off function).

This setting allows (TV) remote control of a camera that is connected to a “BRAVIA” Sync TV using the HDMI Cable (sold separately).

For Wrench Menu #2 and #3, assign settings as desired. These have to with how the camera functions and how it interacts with outside devices. These settings will have no effect on how you shoot pictures.

Questions about the RX100?

Head on over to our forums and post a question for our Compact Camera Experts

About the Authors

Scott Gietler is the creator of the Underwater Photography Guide and owner of Bluewater Photo Store. An avid marine naturalist, Scott is the author of the Field Guide to Southern California Marine Life. He was the LAUPS photographer of the year for 2009, and his photos have appeared in magazines, coffee table & marine life books, museums, galleries, and aquariums throughout California.

Travis Ball is a travel blogger and underwater photographer who recently finished 30 straight months of travel. He believes everyone should enrich their lives with travel and all the experiences it has to offer.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Scott Gietler is the owner of Bluewater Photo, Bluewater Travel, and the Underwater Photography Guide. Bluewater Photo, based in Santa Monica, CA is one of the world’s largest and most prestigious underwater camera stores, serving many thousands of customers each year, where nothing is more important than customer service. The Underwater Photography Guide is the world’s first website to feature free tutorials on underwater photography, and has become the most trafficked resource on underwater photography worldwide. Bluewater Travel is a full-service dive travel wholesaler sending groups and individuals on the world’s best dive vacations.

Scott is also an avid diver, underwater photographer, and budding marine biologist, having created the online guide to the underwater flora and fauna of Southern California. He is the past vice-president of the Los Angeles Underwater Photographic Society, has volunteered extensively at the Santa Monica aquarium, and is the creator of the Ocean Art underwater photo competition, one of the largest underwater international photo competitions ever held in terms of value of prizes. He lives in California with his wife, newborn girl and scuba-diving, photo taking 4 year old son.